Hosted by the Faith To Go team in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, David Tremaine and Charlette Preslar, and joined the each week by a special guest, the Faith To Go Podcast highlights themes from the Sunday Gospel reading for you to take into your faith discussions and reflections throughout the week.
by NPR
Questions:
1) What parts of your routine have you been missing the most in these last weeks and months?
2) How have you tried to adapt different activities to life in quarantine or limited social interaction?
3) What does this story tell us about hope and new possibilities?
4) Where do you see God's movement in this story?
5) How did these teachers, instructors, and leaders respond to the feeling of being stuck?
Views and Qs: Moving Forward With Grief
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1) What do you think is the difference between "moving on from" grief and "moving forward with" grief? 2) Why do you think it is uncomfortable to be with someone who is suffering or grieving? 3) Who are the people in your life that have been able to be with you when you are suffering? 4) What have you grieved in your life? How has grief changed you? 5) What truth of life does this experience of grief reveal to us?
6) Do you think grief and love come from the same place in us?
Feast and Faith: The Way, The Truth, and The Life
For this week's dinner discussion we will focus on Jesus' description of himself as "the way, the truth, and the life."
Prayer -
Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen..
Discussion -
This week are are reflecting on Jesus' parting words to his disciples telling them that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and inviting them to pray for things "in his name" when he is no longer with them. We wonder this week, with the disciples, both what it means for Jesus to be the way, truth, and life:
Questions -
1) How do you know that something is true? And where do you know it (e.g. heart, head, body, etc)?
2) What truths have you learned simply by living your life and reflecting on your experiences?
3) Have you ever experienced something that challenged a truth you had been taught by someone else?
4) Do you think God shares truth with us through our experience of life? If so, how?
5) Do you think that God calls you to different experiences or actions in your life? If so, how do you listen for that call?
Final Nugget -
Often Jesus' teaching that he is "the way, the truth, and the life" has been used as a way to exclude people (i.e. anyone who is not a Christian) from community and relationship. How can we think of this teaching from Jesus as an invitation to inclusion, which seems more in line with his ministry, than exclusion? How might Jesus be inviting us to understand the way, truth, and life in a much wider frame in our own lives?
Stay and Pray: A Devotion for Families at the Close of the Day Each week we feature a way for your family to reflect and pray together. For families with older children this is an at home liturgy for your family to participate in together. It is a daily devotion for families adapted from The Book of Common Prayer.
Before you begin, take a few moments to decide who will read the scripture reading and who will read the collect and closing.
Read the Psalm and Lord's Prayer in unison.
After a moment of silence, begin with the Psalm.
Psalm 13:1-5, 15-16
(read in unison)
1 In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; * deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Incline your ear to me; * make haste to deliver me. 3 Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe, for you are my crag and my stronghold; * for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me. 4 Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, * for you are my tower of strength. 5 Into your hands I commend my spirit, * for you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth. 15 My times are in your hand; * rescue me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. 16 Make your face to shine upon your servant, * and in your loving-kindness save me."
Gospel
(read by assigned person)
John 14:1-14
Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”
Prayers for Ourselves and For Others (take this time to each offer one person/event that you would like to hold in prayer as well as one thing you are thankful for)
Dear God, tonight I ask your prayers for.......
and I give you thanks for ..........
Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
(read in unison)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen
The Collect
(read by assigned person)
Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Share some of your conversations in the comments below: